Nick Jonas (2014)

Nick Jonas is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Nick Jonas. It was released on November 10, 2014, by Island Records. The album features guest appearances from Angel Haze, Demi Lovato and Mike Posner. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics and reached the top 10 in the United States, the top 20 in the United Kingdom, Mexico and Canada, and also reached the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand. It was re-released on November 20, 2015, under the title Nick Jonas X2; including three new tracks and four remixes.

Background and recording

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jonas stated that when Demi Lovato's The Neon Lights Tour gets off the ground, he will turn his attention towards his upcoming solo project. "Some of it is done and ready to be released," he said. "I've got a lot of things in the pipeline right now and I'm waiting to release some news about my music and my next steps. It isn't quite locked in yet, but I have started making some music and now it's all about lining up the pieces.

"I came in really wanting to make a record that was different from anything I'd done in the past, but that was true to my influences: Stevie Wonder, Prince, Bee Gees," he told Time. "And then, more recently, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean. That whole vibe of alternative R&B and pop. It just fell into a really natural place really early. I came in really sure of what I wanted to do", Jonas said about his new record.

On July 30, 2014, it was announced that after Jonas' stint as a creative and musical director for The Neon Lights Tour, that there will be an duet between him and fellow Camp Rock star Demi Lovato on the record. "It's a great song that we both love. Her voice is just amazing on it. She's the real deal. It's the perfect fit for this record", Jonas said about the song. On September 5, 2014, it was announced along with the tour that his self-titled album would release on November 11, 2014.

Jonas opened up to Entertainment Weekly about the prospect of re-releasing the album with some additional tracks. He revealed, "I feel like the next step is just going to be getting a collection of a few more songs and maybe repackaging the album. [...] I still feel like there’s some life left on the record I released last year."

Singles

"Chains" was released as the lead single from Nick Jonas on July 24, 2014. The song was written and produced by Jason Evigan, with additional songwriting provided by Ammar Malik, and Daniel Parker. The song peaked at number 31 on the US Pop Digital Songs chart. The music video (directed by Ryan Pallotta) was released on July 30, 2014. After the single's re-release in January 2015, it has since peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single was released on June 21, 2015 in the United Kingdom.